Lakes Entrance Garden Club president Stan Barker welcomed 54 members and six visitors to the Lakes Entrance Garden Club May meeting on a sunny but cold Autumn day.
Lakes Entrance Fire Brigade sent a thank you note for the club’s $500 donation, while there was also a thank you from the Sale Garden Club for the local club’s members attendance at the recent Garden Clubs of Gippsland Conference.
Member Susie Swann was show bench judge for May and Kay Zacher completed the report.
It was a lovely, bright show bench even though there were not a lot of entries – Sunday had been a rainy day.
Special sections for May included arrangement for Mother’s Day suitable for a table and this was won by Janice Kelly with her entry filled with zinnia in all shades of pink, burgundy pelargonium, mauve ageratum and silver foliage, all in a matching pink tray. Second was from Faye Rowe with pale pink roses, purple statice, white fluffy chrysanthemums, set off with variegated foliage.
The pumpkin of any variety section is also special for May and first place went to Gwen Christopher for her round green pumpkin. Equal second place were Ron Howells and Ann Bambridge for their butternut pumpkins.
Colours of the rainbow “A” section was won Glenda MacKay with a pink rosebud. Second was Fay Rowe with a purple orchid. The “B” section was won by Ron Howells’ yellow rose and second went to Ann Bambridge’s gold chrysanthemum.
Colours of the rainbow “C” section first place was Glenda MacKay’s white double rose and second was Ann Bambridge with a white single rose.
“D” section for multi coloured saw equal firsts given to Ron Howells with a pink camelia edged in deeper pink, and Evelyn Howells with a yellow rose flecked with red.
Equal seconds in this section went to Ann Bambridge for a tiny chrysanthemum – burgundy centre, paler edges, and Ann Barker with her hellebore – pale mauve with darker centre stripes on the petals.
The club was pleased to have an entry in the beginner’s luck section this month from Julie Cattanach – a pristine double white camelia.
In the vegetable below ground section there were two entries. First was Joy Davenport with lovely globe beetroot and second was Ron Howells with his red carrots – All fresh and ready to eat.
The floral art section was a pop of colour and first went to Truus Adams with her arrangement in shades of reds, oranges, lemons
and greens. Second went to Janice Kelly
with her arrangement using a centrepiece of one lemon chrysanthemum with
green leaves formed in swirling shapes of sculptural forms – very different.
Best exhibit of the day was from Ann Barker in the five cuts section (three flowers and two foliage). A lovely simple combination of colours and forms – hydrange in blue, ageratum in mauve and jonquil in white/lemon, with foliage from casuarina in wispy green and eucalypt in dusty blue/grey.
Guest speaker in May was professional photographer Graeme Hunt. He lives in Lakes Entrance above the lake and many of the photos are taken from his balcony. Last year he gave the club a great presentation of his photos, mainly taken overseas. This time most of the photos were taken locally. When taking photos he looks at form and patterns. Many of his photos are taken from a distance with a telephoto lens.
There were photos of Red Bluff, Australia Day fireworks, jetties, pelicans and other birds, the footbridge in day and night, storms, a macro of a bee, a dog jumping on the beach at sunset, seals near the entrance, the circus in Lakes, and particularly poignant – a dog sitting on the sand waiting for his owner who was out surfing.
Some of the shots were taken with his iPhone – as Graeme said we always have them on hand, and “these days the cameras in the phones are great”.
“You don’t need expensive gear – sometimes it is just being in the right spot at the right time,” he said.
Graeme showed members his amazing underwater camera and gear, thrilling the group with his presentation.
The June meeting is Monday, June 16, 1.30pm at the Mechanics Hall. Visitors are always welcome.
